The digital timer on Lucas's screen ticked down mercilessly.
47:58:19
The Asset Flip Challenge was a simulation—but with real-world impact. Each participant would start with a digital $5,000. They had 48 hours to invest, trade, buy, or sell virtual goods, services, or businesses within Olympus High's internal economy. The most profit wins.
But there was a catch.
The internal economy was directly influenced by the students. Rumors, posts, fake news, and even PR manipulation could affect prices. It wasn't just about buying low and selling high. It was about controlling the narrative.
Lucas stared at the simulated marketplace.
Top trending assets:
Rare sneaker stock (volatile)
Influencer tokens
Olympus Cafeteria Coupons (supply cut rumors)
Virtual NFT art made by Tier 3 designer
It was chaos.
Most players would play it safe—buy popular items and wait for the price to rise. But Lucas didn't come here to play safe.
He came to win.
He headed to the school's student tech forum. Olympus High had an internal version of Reddit, and rumors here moved markets.
He created a new thread: "Leaked: Cafeteria Staff Strike Incoming. Food Tokens to Surge."
Then he opened an anonymous account and replied:
"Heard from my cousin in admin. Supplies will be limited this week. Stock up!"
He used another account to upvote it. Then another.
Within 15 minutes, the post had 1,200 views and 93 comments. Half the freshmen were panicking.
Lucas immediately bought $3,000 worth of cafeteria coupons at base price.
Twenty minutes later, their price had doubled.
He sold.
Balance: $9,300
He smirked.
"That's step one."
Meanwhile, in the VIP lounge of Olympus High, Tier 4 student investor Zach Crane was watching the same spike.
"Who the hell is LS_G?" he muttered.
He wasn't alone. Other senior players noticed the fast flip.
But Lucas wasn't done.
He saw another opportunity: a Tier 2 student named Grayson had launched a mini startup selling limited-run Olympus merch with in-jokes printed on it. The business had no traction yet.
Lucas messaged him directly.
Lucas (LS_G): "I'll buy a 40% stake in your merch brand for $2,000. I'll handle promotion."
Grayson: "Seriously? You're Tier 0."
Lucas: "And you have zero buyers. Deal?"
After some hesitation, Grayson agreed.
Lucas jumped back to the forum.
He created a new meme thread:"If you've never worn Grayson's 'Loser to Legend' hoodie, you're not even a student here 💀"
He followed it with a sarcastic poll and fake screenshots of students wearing it.
It went viral in an hour.
Sales soared. His stake value ballooned to $5,500.
Balance: $14,800
Back at the Tier 0 lounge, Raj and Theo were watching the War Game leaderboard on the cafeteria projector.
Theo pointed. "Dude... look at Rank 3!"
Rank 3 – LS_G – $14,800 – Tier 0
Raj's jaw dropped. "That's Lucas. What the hell is he doing?"
Theo whispered, "Whatever it is... he's dangerous."
In the final stretch, Lucas used his last $300 to buy failing NFT art from a sophomore designer. Then, using his network of burner accounts, he hyped it up as a secret drop endorsed by Olivia Drake's fan club.
Price tripled overnight.
When the dust settled and the timer hit zero, Lucas leaned back and cracked his knuckles.
Final Balance: $17,600
The top three participants were announced.
Zach Crane (Tier 4) – $21,000
Lucas Grant (Tier 0) – $17,600
Ava Nguyen (Tier 2) – $13,200
Later that day, Lucas was summoned to the Olympus Council briefing room—a glass-walled penthouse inside the admin tower. Only a few students ever got called here.
Inside sat a girl in a crimson blazer, watching him with amusement.
"Lucas Grant," she said. "You turned $5,000 into $17,600 in under two days. That's... impressive."
"Just numbers," Lucas replied coolly.
"I'm Evelyn Quinn. Junior Vice President of the Olympus Council. You've made some noise."
She stood and walked over to him.
"Enjoy your Provisional Tier 1 badge. But remember—this school doesn't like meteors. Rise too fast, and someone will try to burn you."
Lucas gave her a small smile.
"I will be careful. Thanks for the advice."
As he walked out, his new student profile flashed on every classroom screen.
Lucas Grant—PROMOTED to Provisional Tier 1 Olympus War Game Runner-Up – $17,600 profit Status: Watched + 10 Tier Boost points
The school had just noticed him.
And this was only the beginning.